A Genetic Intact: High Iron Content in Blood Causes Hereditary Hemochromatosis

Jean Côme Meniane^*
*Correspondence: Jean Côme Meniane, Clinical Hematology Department, University Hospital of Martinique, France, Email:

Abstract

Hereditary Hemochromatosis is diseases caused due to abnormality in genes. Hereditary Hemochromatosis is caused by mutation of genes which are passed from parents to children. Hereditary Hemochromatosis causes the body to absorb more amount of Iron from Food we eat. Funny fact is high levels of iron in red blood cells (higher than usual) will also cause abnormality in human body. The excess iron absorbed in the body will be stored in organs Liver, heart and pancreas. Thus, excess iron stored in body organs result in Liver diseases, Heart problems and diabetes. Patient diagnosed with HH are of 45-60 years of age. Patients diagnosed with Hereditary Hemochromatosis are mostly of male ratio than female because female menstrual cycle effectively loss irons through blood loss.

Keywords

Iron • Hereditary hemochromatosis • Blood • DNA • Genetic diseases

Introduction

One can say Hereditary Hemochromatosis diseased is inherited from parents but only few people have serious health problems. HH disease cannot be detected at early stage. The symptoms are usually appears in midlife. The symptoms include Joint pain, Abdominal pain, Fatigue, Weakness, Diabetes, Loss of sex drive, Impotence, Heart failure, Liver failure, Bronze or grey skin colour and Memory fog. If a doctor thinks that the patient is diagnosed with HH due to inheritance than that’s utterly un practical cause few people consume alcohol dependency, Frequent blood transfusion vitamins, iron capsule thus increasing absorption of iron in blood.

Case Report

50 years old Male is hospitalised due to skin decolourization and dizziness in body. At first, patient is mistaken to be having abnormality in pigmentation but later after several tests, symptoms of the patient and living parent’s medical history, it is notified that the patient is diagnosed with Hereditary Hemochromatosis which the patient had inherited from his father. In general treatment induced to the patients is regular removal of blood from the patient’s body. But as the patient has a history of heart diseases, transfusion of blood is consider as preferable option even though it isn’t preferable to main cases.

The HFE gene control iron absorption from food. The HFE gene has two mutation names as C28Y and H63D. It is noted that a person diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis because the person might have inherited defective gene from reach parent but not every offspring inherits or develops the illness. Researchers are quite unsure about these defects and are still looking into the symptoms of iron overloaded and why other offspring’s are not overloaded with iron in body. Many do not realize they have it. The Complication of hereditary hemochromatosis is most likely to occur in male who are having health issues like diabetes and liver diseases. The females rarely develops these complication because the menstruation cycle reduces iron levels in the blood but once the menstruation stops the iron levels might build up again (Figure 1).

Early diagnosis of HFE gene will effectively help the patient because the treatment would stop patient’s organ damage. Consumption of alcohol even after diagnosis with Hereditary Hemochromatosis will increase the severity of hereditary hemochromatosis and therefore the risk of cirrhosis and cancer.

Conclusion

Patient diagnosed with Hereditary Hemochromatosis should visit suggested diagnosis centre on regular intervals. If any abnormal symptoms appear in the body of the patient then the treatment should be stopped immediately.